Little Miracle
by kirin-saga
Summary: Pregnancy, especially for teenagers, is never easy. YamiBakura Mpreg.
1. The First Trimester

Title: Little Miracle  
Author: Cheysuli  
Rated: PG  
Pairing: Yami/Bakura; Yugi/Ryou  
Warnings: Mpreg; OOC  
Chapter Title: The First Trimester  
Summary: Pregnancy, especially for teenagers, is never easy.  
A/N: This fic will have three chapters, one for each trimester. Please note that I have never been pregnant and all info here was taken from various websites (mostly pregnancy . org remove spaces; that's an _amazing _site. With pictures).  
A/N2: There's one quote from Family Guy included in this chapter.

* * *

"Good morning! How are you this fine day? Good, I hope. Did you sleep well last night?"

Yami's overly cheerful and rather loud voice woke Bakura from his restless sleep and he rolled onto his back, glaring tiredly at his lover. Yami didn't notice.

"I got you a few things at the store yesterday; I would have told you then but you were asleep when I got home."

Bakura glared harder and sat up a bit. "Love, why are you talking to my stomach?" he asked in faint annoyance as he watched Yami stare lovingly at his belly.

Yami smiled dreamily and he reached out to gently rub Bakura's skin. "I was just telling our son about the toys I got him yesterday," he answered in excitement. "I got him some teddy bears, and a stuffed cow, and look!" he continued, reaching over the side of the bed and grabbing a shopping bag, quickly pulling out a large stuffed animal. "It's Tigger! And if you push this button on the back, it has a heartbeat!"

Bakura smiled in amusement as he listened to Tigger's 'heartbeat.' "Yami, it's sweet that you bought all this but we won't need it for months yet! And there's really no point in talking to the baby yet. I'm only six weeks along and our _daughter,_" he said, glaring slightly at his lover, "doesn't even have ears yet. She can't hear you."

Yami smiled. "Well, I can still talk to _him _if I want," he said, still holding Tigger in one arm as he stroked Bakura's belly. "So, since you're awake now, do you need anything? I can make breakfast; Yugi taught me how."

Bakura paled and shook his head. "Yami, I was sick all night. Food is the _last_ thing I want," he groaned as he settled back against his pillow. "Besides, all I want right now is sleep."

Yami frowned at his pregnant lover. "Bakura, you _have _to have breakfast. You're eating for two now." He placed Tigger next to Bakura and stood from the bed. "I'll get you something and you _will _eat it," he said before turning and leaving the room.

Bakura glared after him before turning on his side and getting in a comfortable position. He glanced at Tigger, whose 'heart' was still beating. It really was a soothing sound. So peaceful and comforting...

Bakura smiled, reaching out to pull Tigger closer, before closing his eyes and returning to sleep.

* * *

Exactly fifteen minutes later, Yami returned to the room carrying a heavily laden tray. "I didn't know what you were in the mood for so I made you a few things," he said as he set the tray down on the nightstand. "There's soup and eggs and some toast... I was going to make you pancakes but we're out of milk. Oh, and some..." he trailed off as he turned and saw a sleeping Bakura.

Yami smiled at the scene; Bakura was sound asleep, cuddling Tigger close as the soothing sound of the toy's heartbeat filled the room. Yami sat carefully on the bed, unwilling to wake his lover even though he knew Bakura needed to eat.

"Beautiful..." he whispered as he leaned over Bakura and kissed his cheek. He let his hand rest on Bakura's still flat belly, imagining he could already feel a slight swell were their unborn child rested.

He watched his lover a moment longer before glancing at the tray of food, debating whether or not he should wake Bakura after all. Remembering how restless Bakura had been the night before and how miserable he had felt, he decided that at the moment Bakura needed sleep more than food; Yami slowly stood from the bed and carefully collected the tray, glancing briefly at the still sleeping Bakura before turning and leaving the room.

* * *

"Well hello, sleepy head," Yami laughed as Bakura stumbled down the stairs four hours later. "We'd thought you'd _never _get up."

Bakura glared tiredly at Yami before settling next to him on the couch. He stared blankly at the television that was playing some documentary and proceeded to ignore everyone in the room, which besides Yami and himself, included their hikaris.

The others watched him in amusement before turning back to the television.

"The mare struggles to deliver her foal. It is a hard birth, the mare still recovering from the injuries she sustained when a pack of coyotes attacked her herd, and it is unknown whether she or the foal will survive through the night..."

Yami turned to ask Bakura if he needed anything, as he _still _hadn't eaten, but paused when he saw Bakura's expression. Bakura was staring at the television in horror, shaking and struggling to hold back tears. He was whimpering quietly and whispering something over and over under his breath.

Yami, concerned, wrapped an arm around him. "Bakura? What's wrong?" he asked, worried that he was feeling sick again. "Do you feel all right?"

Bakura flinched and turned to Yami, wrapping his arms tightly around his lover and buried his face in the pharaoh's hair. "I don't want to die!" he cried, his voice breaking as he starting sobbing.

Ryou and Yugi, who had watched all this in silence, were quick to understand the problem and changed the channel to Cartoon Network before glancing at the couple on the couch. "Come on, Yugi," Ryou whispered. "Let's give them a moment."

Yugi nodded and quietly followed Ryou to the kitchen.

* * *

"It's a good thing he didn't come down in time to see the coyote attack," Ryou said as he searched the cupboards for something to eat. "I don't think he could've handled that."

Yugi nodded from his place by the fridge. "Yeah, that _was _pretty gross. But I _really _wish he hadn't come down until _after _the foal was born," he said as he rummaged through the fridge. "Hey, we're out of milk."

"I'll go to the store later; I need to get some things for Bakura anyways."

Yugi nodded and closed the fridge. "Food cravings?" he asked as he moved to stand next to Ryou, who was now looking through the pantry.

Ryou shook his head. "No; I'm going to try to find him something for his morning sickness," he said as he finally found what he had been looking for - a pack of crackers - and, grabbing it, closed the pantry door. "Lately, _everything _makes him nauseas."

"Yeah, I know; we can't even eat in front of him," Yugi said as he glanced towards the kitchen door. "I think he's losing weight."

"He was underweight to begin with, he can't afford to lose anymore," the white haired hikari said worriedly as he followed Yugi's gaze. "And it doesn't help that Yami keeps trying to feed him things his stomach can't handle."

Yugi laughed. "I know! Did you _see _that breakfast he made for him? Runny eggs and blackened toast!"

Ryou nodded as he ripped open the box of crackers. "Hey, at least the soup looked edible. But then he only had to microwave it. Kind of hard to mess _that _up."

Yugi nodded as he watched him arrange a handful of crackers on a plate he had grabbed while going through the cupboards. "Is that for Bakura?"

Ryou nodded as he closed the box. "Yeah; father said that while mom was pregnant with me, she kept crackers stored around the house for when she felt sick. He said it helped a little."

Yugi blinked. "You told your father about this?" he asked as he stared at Ryou in shock.

Ryou laughed. "I haven't told him about _Bakura, _let alone Bakura's _pregnancy._ He'd think I'd gone insane."

Yugi just shook his head and followed Ryou back into the living room.

* * *

"Feeling better?" Yami asked as Bakura finally stopped crying; he still refused to let go but at least he wasn't crying. Yami _hated _it when Bakura cried. It was just so out of character and Yami never knew quite how to handle it.

He usually let Ryou handle a crying Bakura. That boy was an expert at calming him down. But Ryou had abandoned him to go to the kitchen with Yugi. Yami sighed. It really didn't matter; Bakura had calmed down pretty quick this time. But he still wasn't letting go.

And, Yami realized, he wasn't answering either. "Bakura?"

Bakura snuggled closer to him and sighed. "You hate me, don't you?"

Yami blinked. Where had _that _come from? "No! No, of _course, _I don't hate you! Whatever gave you that idea?"

Bakura finally let go of him and moved away slightly, staring once again at the television. And once again ignoring him.

Yami sighed, realizing that today was going to be one of Bakura's more... emotional days. He _really _hated mood swings. _'At least he won't have them for the entire pregnancy,' _he thought in relief, remembering what Jou had told him about pregnant women. Jou had a little sister, he saw his mother when she was pregnant; so he should know.

Too bad that Yami forgot Jou was _three _when his mother was pregnant with Shizuka and his memory may not be all that clear.

"We met on the Internet. He lured me into the car with promises of candy and funny stories."

Yami blinked and hurriedly turned off the TV before Bakura started crying again.

* * *

Later that afternoon, while the hikaris were out shopping and Bakura was munching on some of the crackers Ryou had given him, Yami was looking through one of the parenting books he had gotten at the store yesterday.

It was very interesting; it had a list of things the baby would need: cribs, cradles, car seats - they probably wouldn't need one of those considering none of them knew how to drive, toys, games, clothes, strollers... The list went on and on and Yami was beginning to wish he and Yugi had kept the money they had won in various tournaments instead of giving it away to those that needed it. Because now _they _needed it.

Who knew that babies were so expensive in this day and age? Back in Egypt, as far as Yami knew, babies only needed three things: A mother, a blanket, and food. Everything else was an unnecessary luxury.

Yami sighed, half wishing that he and Bakura had had a baby back in Egypt, where everything was so much simpler and a pregnant male wasn't such an odd sight to see. Not too common, but still not all that strange. Back in Egypt, he would have been able to have a healer monitor the pregnancy; he would have been able to hire a midwife; and he would have been able to announce to the world that he had sired an heir.

Instead, Bakura was without a doctor, was without a midwife, and his pregnancy had to be kept secret from all but their closest friends. Modern life sucked.

And it was _damned _expensive. Yami had spent most of his and Yugi's money yesterday at the toy store, Ryou was spending his on groceries at this very moment, and Bakura... well, Bakura hadn't had any money since Yami had made him stop stealing. So he was no help.

Yami groaned and put the book down, weighing his options. Yugi had said that he should get a job, that way he wouldn't be reliant on the small allowance Grandpa gave him. But there really wasn't much he was qualified to do in this modern world.

He briefly considered asking Kaiba for a loan. Kaiba and Bakura were friends so there was a possibility - a rather _small _possibility but a possibility nonetheless - that he would agree. But Yami hated Kaiba and, as far he knew, the feeling was mutual. So he couldn't ask him for help.

Yami sighed and glanced over to where Bakura was lounging on the couch. The white haired boy had managed to finish his crackers - _and _keep them down - and was now reading a magazine Yugi had left on the coffee table. Yami watched him, watched how he laughed quietly at whatever had caught his interest, watched how one hand kept moving to his belly as if to reassure himself that all was still well... and Yami came to a decision.

They _needed _money. And with Ryou and Yugi in school and Bakura in his current condition, Yami was the only one capable of getting it. And he _would _get it.

Now he just had to tell Bakura.

* * *

"You're _what!"_

Yami winced and backed away from his angry lover. "I'm getting a job, Bakura," he said, mentally berating himself for not waiting until Ryou had gotten home. Or at least waiting until Bakura wasn't so emotional. "You know, so we can buy things for the baby."

Bakura shook his head and collapsed, carefully so he didn't hurt the baby, back on the couch he had spent most of the day on. "You're... _abandoning _me?" he cried, staring tearfully up at his lover.

Yami was quick to reassure him. "No! No, Bakura! I'll _never _abandon you!" he said, kneeling at Bakura's feet and taking his hand. "But babies are expensive..."

Bakura sniffed. "But Ryou's father-"

"Would definitely notice baby supplies on his credit card bills," Yami interrupted. "And that could cause Ryou some problems."

Bakura nodded reluctantly, seeing Yami's point. "I guess... you're right," he whispered, laying his free hand on his belly. "But... with Ryou and Yugi at school and... you at work, I'll be all alone during the day. What if something happens and... no ones here?"

Yami frowned; he hadn't thought of that. He _really_ shouldhave thought of that. "Well... Marik doesn't go to school... I guess I could ask him to stay with you." Yami may not have been all that fond of Marik, but he _was _Bakura's friend and he _had _calmed down a lot since his return from the Shadow Realm. Yami felt he could be trusted to keep Bakura company during the day. And, since Otogi would kill him otherwise, he could be trusted to keep his hands to himself as well.

Too bad Bakura didn't see it that way.

"You'd let that psychocome near our baby!"

Yes, he _really _should have waited until Ryou got home.

* * *

"You don't think before you speak, do you?"

Yugi and Ryou had arrived home just in time to catch the end of the argument and while Ryou spoke with Bakura upstairs, Yugi was lecturing Yami. Yami _hated _being lectured; he was _Pharaoh _for Ra's sake! But, he had to admit, he _did _deserve it this time.

"Are you listening to me! Yami!" Yugi yelled, reaching out to shake the daydreaming Pharaoh.

Yami shook his head and stepped away from his angry hikari. "Sorry, Yugi. What were you saying?"

Yugi sighed in annoyance and crossed his arms. "You can't go upsetting Bakura like that! It's bad for the baby!" he growled, glaring at Yami. "You could have at least explained the problem _before _you made him think he was being abandoned!"

Yami winced and stared guiltily at the floor as he remembered the argument. Bakura refused to believe he _wasn't_ being abandoned, refused to believe that Yami _wasn't _foisting him off on Marik. By the time the hikaris had gotten home, Bakura had been accusing him of everything from abandonment to infidelity. Apparently, mentioning that Marik _had _a boyfriend somehow convinced Bakura that Yami had a crush on Otogi and that Yami was trying to get Bakura and Marik out of the way.

Yami had then, while pretending that he was _not _cowering in the corner, decided that Bakura was no longer allowed to watch soap operas while pregnant. No matter _how _much he loved Passions.

And Yugi was shaking him again so he decided to think later and listen now because an angry hikari was something he was just afraid to deal with.

* * *

The next few days were rather tense, Bakura refusing to let Yami out of his sight and sometimes - depending on his mood - even latching onto his arm and refusing to let go. Bakura was, obviously, still afraid of abandonment (which was completely understandable considering his life in Egypt) and half expected Yami to disappear before his very eyes. And this time Ryou was little help, too concerned over the fact he was failing one of his classes to pay Bakura any attention.

Which left Yugi as the only one able to help. And he had proved himself surprisingly skilled at distracting Bakura and allowing Yami to look through the help wanted ads in peace. Although, Yugi had to admit, he couldn't take _all _ofthe credit. Grandpa had played a big part as well in figuring out how to keep Bakura happy.

They had found food he could eat.

Yugi smiled as he watched Bakura finish the last of the stewed tomatoes Grandpa had brought over the day before. Tomatoes, it seemed, were Bakura's new favorite food - even though he had hated them before he had gotten pregnant. Which made a small amount of sense considering that Bakura could no longer stomach food he used to love. Like pizza. They couldn't even keep _frozen _pizza in the house without Bakura complaining about the greasy smell.

Though how frozen food could smell like anything other than ice was beyond them.

Yugi shook his head in amusement as Bakura made an almost silent sound of disappointment when he realized there were no more tomatoes. "Still hungry?"

Bakura blinked, having forgotten Yugi was still in the room, and shook his head. "Not really," he whispered in mild embarrassment. He didn't like being watched, especially while eating. And especially when he didn't even _realize _he was being watched.

Yugi frowned when he noticed Bakura was getting upset for some reason and stood from his chair, walking around the table and giving Bakura a hug. "You feeling ok? You don't feel sick, do you?"

Bakura shook his head, leaning against Yugi. He cocked his head in mild confusion and sniffed the air. "Hey, you smell nice," he said, turning to face the hikari and smelling his hair.

Yugi blushed and stared at him in confusion. "Uh... thanks... I think."

Bakura just smiled in contentment.

* * *

"What about Burger Queen?"

"No."

"Dairy King?"

"No."

"...Pizza Box?"

"Yami, for the last time, _no!" _Ryou screamed as he glared across the room at Yami. "Do you really think Bakura will appreciate you smelling like greasy food all the time? Choose something that's not a restaurant!"

Yami flinched. In hindsight, he really shouldn't have asked Ryou for help in choosing a job. Especially since the hikari was stressed out over school. Yami _really _wished hindsight came _first._

Or maybe he needed to call Isis before he made anymore decisions. He needed to call her anyways since she was both Egyptian and a woman and would know more about pregnancy than any male in the house. Except Bakura. But Bakura was learning as he went so he really didn't know much.

Yami had once made the mistake of telling Bakura that since he had been born with the ability to have children, his parents should have taught him all he needed to know. And Bakura told him _exactly _why they hadn't.

Bakura had then locked himself in their room, crying, and it had taken the combined efforts of Ryou, Yami, Yugi, _and _Grandpa to get him to come out.

Yami had gotten in a _huge _amount of trouble for that.

And he must have been drifting again because Ryou was glaring at him. And if looks could kill... "Uh... I think I can handle it from here," he said hesitantly, half afraid Ryou would attack him. "Why don't you go study?"

Ryou growled at him before turning and stalking from the room.

* * *

"I found it!" Yami yelled excitedly as he raced down the stairs. "I found the _perfect- _uh... what are you doing?" he asked, as he came to a stop and stared at the scene before him.

Yugi was laying on the couch, staring up at Yami in amusement. But that wasn't what had surprised the Pharaoh so much. No, what surprised him was the fact that Bakura was laying on _top _of Yugi. If Bakura hadn't looked half asleep, and so content he was almost purring, Yami would have thought they'd been doing... things. But he knew they would never... Yugi had Ryou and Bakura had him. He knew they were both completely trustworthy. When it came to relationships.

Yami couldn't help feeling a bit jealous though.

Yugi smirked at Yami's confusion and obvious jealousy. "I smell nice!" he said, as if that alone explained everything. And to him and Bakura, it did. "You were saying something about a perfect..."

Yami blinked then remembered the reason he had come downstairs in the first place. "Oh, they need Game Instructors down at KaibaLand," he answered, still staring at the pair on the couch. "And I thought that since, well... I _am _the Game King and all..."

Yugi nodded, earning him a faint groan of protest from Bakura who didn't appreciate the movement as it woke him from his half-doze. He stared tiredly up at Yami, having just realized he was there before turning and burying his face in Yugi's hair. "Stinky..."

Yugi laughed at Yami's shocked expression. "You can borrow my body wash if you'd like, Yami."

Yami just blinked at him.

* * *

"You sure you have everything?"

"Yes, Bakura."

"You have your lunch?"

"Yes, Bakura."

"Your house key?"

"Yes, Bakura."

"Your-"

"Bakura!" Yami interrupted, turning abruptly to face his worried lover. "I haven't forgotten anything," he continued gently as he wrapped Bakura in a hug.

Bakura sniffed, leaning heavily against him and lifting a hand to comb through Yami's hair. He paused, laying his hand against his lover's forehead. "Yami, you have a fever! You can't..."

Yami sighed and carefully removed Bakura's hand from his face. "Bakura, I don't have a fever; I just got out of the shower."

Bakura stared at him, nervously playing with the buttons on Yami's shirt. "But..."

"I'll be fine," Yami reassured, stroking Bakura's cheek. "_You'll _be fine. Marik will be here in twenty minutes. _And," _he continued, interrupting Bakura's protest. "If you need anything before he gets here, Grandpa's number is by the phone. He can be here in ten."

Bakura nodded reluctantly and finally released Yami, watching as he collected his things, kissed him goodbye, and left. Bakura stared at the closed door for a few minutes before glancing around the suddenly cold house. Ryou and Yugi had left for school half an hour earlier and now that Yami was gone...

Bakura lowered himself to the floor and, wrapping his arms tightly around himself, started to cry, realizing that for the first time since he had told Yami he was pregnant, he was completely and utterly alone.

TBC...

* * *

A/N: My chapters are getting longer. I'm so proud! 


	2. The Second Trimester

**sweetchica55:** Glad you like! And I don't need to write more; I actually managed to complete this fic _before_ I started posting. That's why I can update it so fast.  
** Crimson Eyed Dragon:** Yes it does make for some funny moments; but this chapter and the next are much more serious. There will still be a few funny moments though.  
** sakurasango:** I'm glad you like! And about the food, mom told me she couldn't even _look_ and an egg and I read that 'you should not be surprised when a sandwhich from four black away bothers you.' I did a lot of research for this fic (well, actually, most of the research was done before I even decided to write this since I plan on having children within the next year or two).

Title: Little Miracle  
Author: Cheysuli  
Rated: R  
Pairing: Yami/Bakura; Yugi/Ryou  
Warnings: Mpreg; OOC  
Chapter Title: The Second Trimester  
Summary: Pregnancy, especially for teenagers, is never easy.  
A/N: This fic will have three chapters, one for each trimester. Please note that I have never been pregnant and all info here was taken from various websites (mostly pregnancy . org remove spaces; that's an _amazing _site. With pictures).

* * *

The weeks passed by and everyone had soon fallen into a routine, Yugi and Ryou would leave for school at 7:30 in the morning and Yami would leave half an hour later. Marik would arrive anywhere from twenty minutes to an hour and a half after Yami had left, depending on how responsible he was feeling that day. Some days he didn't show up at all. And Bakura... 

Bakura would spend most of the morning staring at the front door, waiting for Marik to come or for Yami to rush back when he forgot something. Then he'd get off the floor or the couch or, occasionally, the coffee table and he'd wander into the kitchen for some crackers. Or, if Marik had actually shown up, he'd go up to his room until he was sure Marik had finished raiding their fridge and eating their food.

After that he'd wander through the house, absentmindedly tidying the place up a bit, always careful to be as quiet as possible until around noon since the blond preferred complete silence while he caught up on lost sleep. If he was feeling up to it, he'd make himself - and Marik - some lunch.

The rest of the day was spent in his room, staring longingly out the window as he waited for Yami to come home.

* * *

Weekends were his favorite days. Yami was with him constantly during the weekends and somehow those two short days almost made up for the loneliness he felt while Yami was at work. Almost. But it was all he could ask for since he knew - and finally accepted - that they needed the money Yami made at KaibaLand. Which wasn't really all that much. Game King or not, Yami only earned minimum wage just as all new employees did. 

And minimum wage wasn't nearly enough compared to how much the things they needed cost. And they didn't just need things for the baby; they needed things for Bakura as well. Prenatal vitamins, new clothes, morning sickness remedies... If Grandpa hadn't agreed to keep giving Yami his weekly allowance then they would have been in deep trouble.

After the first few weeks of awed excitement at the news of a child, reality was finally settling in.

* * *

"Teen pregnancies are difficult, Yami. There are many things children your age just aren't prepared for. And children of their own is one of them." 

Yami sighed and gave Grandpa a half-hearted glare. "In Egypt, Bakura and I would be considered adults _and _legally married. It would have been odd, and worrisome, if I didn't already have an heir on the way."

Grandpa shook his head as he stacked containers of food - mostly homemade stewed tomatoes for Bakura - in the fridge. "This isn't Ancient Egypt, Yami. Times change and in this day and age you and Bakura won't be considered adults for a few years yet."

Yami cocked his head and absentmindedly started playing with a napkin that rested on the table he was seated at. "Are you saying we should have waited a few years?" the Pharaoh asked hesitantly, now staring sadly at the table.

Grandpa nodded his head and too a seat in the chair next to Yami. "It would have been best, but what's done is done," he said, placing a reassuring hand on Yami's shoulder. "You can't change the past, Yami." The old man smiled wryly. "No matter how much someone tries."

Yami laughed a little at that, remembering how hard Bakura had tried to use the power of the Items to change the fate of his people. It was a purely understandable goal; but completely unattainable.

And it was a really good thing Bakura had realized - and finally accepted - that fact _before _he had gotten pregnant. Yami shuddered to think of the mood swing _that _would have caused. "You're right, Grandpa," he finally said, after he had gotten the image out of his mind. "Be we didn't actually _plan _this pregnancy; it's not like Bakura could have gone to the store and gotten birth control... what?"

Grandpa was glaring at him. "Don't go blaming this all on him; the fault is half yours," he growled at the now cowering Pharaoh. "He may not have been able to get birth control pills but _you _were perfectly capable of getting condoms."

Yami blushed, extremely embarrassed they were even _having _this conversation. "But they didn't _have _condoms in Egypt!" he whined.

Grandpa glared harder. "Yami, for the _last _time, this _isn't Egypt!" _he yelled, slapping the table angrily. "You have got to stop living in the past!"

Yami flinched and quickly scooted his chair away from the angry man. "Don't you think I _know _that! Don't you think I know how different things are in this time? That _still _doesn't change the fact that I didn't know what condoms were until it was too late!"

"Too late?"

Grandpa and Yami winced at the quiet voice and turned guiltily towards the door. "Bakura..." Yami whispered, staring sadly at his teary eyed lover.

Bakura stared blankly at them seemingly oblivious to the tears that trailed down his face. "I... I came to tell you I felt the baby move... but..." he whispered as he backed towards the door. "But I doubt you care..."

Yami and Grandpa could only watch helplessly as Bakura turned and fled the room.

* * *

"Hey, Bakura..." 

Bakura ignored the quiet voice, instead staring vacantly at the wall next to the bed. He didn't want to talk to anyone, see anyone... not even the one that now stood patiently by the door. Not since...

He struggled to hold back his tears as he recalled the conversation he had overheard earlier. The knowledge that the one he loved, _truly_ loved, felt... that way...

The figure at the door frowned as Bakura finally started to cry and he quickly crossed the room, carefully climbing onto the bed a sitting behind the pregnant boy. "Bakura, he didn't mean it, what he said," he whispered, stroking Bakura's hair and wiping his tears away.

Bakura sniffed. "He doesn't want her, Yugi," he choked, rolling onto his back and staring pleadingly up at his lover's hikari. "Why doesn't he want her?"

Yugi sighed and laid down next the Bakura, placing his hand gently on Bakura's slightly swollen belly. "It's not that... Bakura, he's just scared-"

"And I'm not!" Bakura growled. "Yugi, I'm scared too! Hell, I'm _terrified. _But I could never _not _want her," he cried, rolling to his side and cuddling against Yugi. "I almost wish... you were her father. You actually care."

Yugi sighed and wrapped his arms around the crying boy, sadly shaking his head at Yami who had been listening quietly at the door.

* * *

"You should be ashamed of yourselves!" 

Yami was being lectured again. He _loathed _being lectured. But at least this time, he wasn't the only one in trouble. It was amusing really, seeing a man Grandpa's age being scolded by a teenager. It was almost enough to make him forget what he had heard Bakura tell Yugi. Almost.

"Saying things like that were he can _hear _you! What were you _thinking!"_

Not even Ryou's angry voice could drive those words from his mind; and that was saying something considering how _scary _Ryou could be. Yami almost wished it were Yugi yelling at him. Yugi... did Bakura really wish Yugi was the father? Was Yugi being the father actually a _possibility _or had Bakura just said that because Yugi was the one who was comforting him at the time?

"Listen to me when I'm yelling at you!"

Yami blinked and stared at Ryou, who was glaring so hard and so angrily at him that Yami swore he saw little flames dancing in the hikari's eyes. Oh wait, it was just the reflection from the lights which made much more sense and Yami must have been drifting again because Ryou looked ready to kill something. Distraction, distraction... he needed a distraction... "Uh, where'd Grandpa go?" he asked timidly, finally noticing he and Ryou were alone in the living room. Which was definitely not of the good because that meant there were no witnesses to identify Ryou as the one who killed him.

Ryou frowned and glared towards the front door, much to Yami's relief since that meant he was no longer the focus of Ryou's attention. "He left, the coward," he hissed. "Said something about inventory."

Yami wisely said nothing as Ryou continued cursing the old man and quite possibly Yami as well - the Pharaoh couldn't really be sure since Ryou had switched to English and Bakura was the only other one in the house who understood it.

And Yami definitely couldn't go and ask Bakura to translate, not while the pregnant boy was so upset; besides, Yami didn't really want to know what Ryou was saying about him. The last time he had asked for a translation he couldn't even go _near _Ryou without fearing for his life. Whoever had called Ryou the most innocent of the hikaris must have been blind, deaf, and dumb. Either that or he had never heard Ryou speak while angry.

And Yami should really leave the room before his mind drifted any farther, especially since Ryou had not yet realized Yami had missed most of the lecture.

* * *

"Is he asleep?" 

Yugi blinked tiredly up at Yami, yawning as he sat up, careful not to disturb Bakura. The Pharaoh's hikari cocked his head as he listened to the sounds from downstairs. "Ryou's still yelling," he said quietly in mild confusion. "Why aren't you downstairs?"

Yami stared at him as if he had just asked why there was sand in the desert. "Uh... because Ryou's still yelling. In English," he answered slowly. "So... is he asleep?"

Yugi glanced down at Bakura, who hadn't moved or responded in anyway since just before Yami had entered the room. "He is; if he _wasn't _I would most likely be yelling at you right now."

Yami blinked and stepped away from the bed Yugi and Bakura were lying on, suddenly _very _aware of how he had escaped one lecture only to almost walk into another. Thank Ra Bakura was, apparently, sound asleep. Though that wasn't really surprising; Bakura had developed a habit of sleeping during the day. For some strange reason, he seemed completely unable to find any rest during the night.

But back to the subject that was Yami's reason for coming upstairs in the first place - well, the _other _subject that brought him upstairs. He really didn't feel up to being lectured for escaping a lecture. "So, uh... about what Bakura said to you earlier," Yami began, almost afraid of what he would learn within the next few minutes.

Yugi cocked his head, absentmindedly playing with a strand of Bakura's long white hair. "Yami, you know he was upset. He doesn't _really _believe you don't want her."

Yami frowned as he watched Yugi's action, too jealous to correct Yugi about the baby's gender. "Not that, Yugi," he said as he glared at his hikari. "About him wanting you to be the baby's father."

Yugi laughed quietly. "Oh, that. Don't take it seriously, Yami. He was just angry with you."

Yami's frown deepened as he noticed Yugi's hand moving from Bakura's hair to his cheek. "Yugi, tell me the truth... is it _possible _that you are the child's father?"

His hikari glared at him and from his expression, Yami knew that if Bakura hadn't been in the room Yugi would have been yelling so loud they'd _both _go deaf. "If you," Yugi growled as he slowly stood from the bed and stalked towards Yami, "for one _second _believe Bakura and I are capable of betraying you and Ryou like that, then you don't know us at _all._"

Yami inched away from his furious hikari; he had crossed a line and he knew it. But that didn't change the fact that he _needed _to know. "So... it's _not _yours?"

Yugi's hands tightened into fists and he forced himself to take a deep, calming breath, unwilling to risk waking Bakura by attacking Yami. Bakura had enough problems to deal with without adding lack of sleep to the seemingly ever growing list. "Yami, the child is _yours _whether you want it to be or not. Deal with it!"

Yami shook his head frantically. "No! Yugi, it's not that I don't want it-"

"Then _act _like you want it!" Yugi yelled, unable to control his anger any longer. "_Act _like you care about anything other than money!" He paused and took another calming breath, before continuing in a much calmer tone. "What happened, Yami? You were always there for him those first few weeks," he said in obvious disappointment. "Now he's lucky to be able to spend time alone with you on the weekends."

Yami sighed and ran his hand nervously through his hair. "I woke up, Yugi. We were acting like the baby was a dream come true," he said quietly, quickly continuing when he notice Yugi was about to protest. "And he _is _but he's an _expensive _dream. And... I want him to have everything he needs."

Yugi stared sadly at him. "Babies need more than things, Yami. They need parents - _both _parents - as well."

Yami nodded, angry at himself for even mentioning the subject. "I know and I _will _be there for him _and _Bakura-"

"Don't tell me," Yugi interrupted, gesturing towards the bed. "Tell him."

Yami winced and slowly turned towards the bed, where Bakura, having been awakened by their raised voices, was staring back at them. Yami was almost afraid to look at him, afraid he would see nothing but contempt in those expressive eyes. But after a few moments of tense silence, he did look... and saw something much worse than contempt.

Disappointment... fear... acceptance.

Bakura believed that Yami would reject him and he was preparing himself for the words he was sure Yami would soon speak. It didn't matter that Yami had just said that he'd be there for them; he had been saying that since the beginning and he _hadn't _been there. Not since those first few weeks where everything seemed so perfect and nothing could go wrong.

Then everything had gone wrong. Yami had gotten a job and was rarely home, Bakura was alone most days - even when Marik did come over, he did nothing but watch television and steal their food; Bakura might as well have been completely alone in the house. It felt like that anyways.

How had everything gone so wrong so fast? It was as if the Gods had flipped a switch somewhere; it was if they had decided that his life was too good, as if they had decided he was too happy, and had decided to set things 'right.'

But... surely they could see they were punishing an innocent child as well? Didn't they realize she needed two parents that loved her? Didn't she deserve at least that?

He hadn't deserved parents that loved him. He had had them, briefly, before the Gods had taken them away. Maybe... they thought that since he didn't deserve his, she didn't deserve hers? Was that what the Gods believed? That a child had to suffer for the crimes of her parents?

How could they believe that?

Bakura was no longer aware of the others in the room. All the uncertainty, all the fear, all the loneliness - the agonizing feeling of abandonment that had consumed his world... it all caught up with him in that moment, attacking him with it's suffocating presence until it was all he was aware of...

And not even the faint fluttering feeling of his daughter's movements was enough to get through to him.

* * *

"What's happening!" Yami screamed as he struggled to hold Bakura still. Yami had expected Bakura to yell at him or to start crying... but he had _never _expected this. Whatever _this _was. 

Bakura was screaming. And he was crying and shaking and clawing. And he was fighting... what, Yami didn't know - but he was fighting and kicking and... and _screaming._ And nothing Yami did could get him to calm down. "Yugi!"

Yugi stood helpless at the foot of the bed, pale and shaky and at a complete loss of what to do. "I... I think he's having a breakdown!"

Yami growled. "You _think!" _He winced as Bakura managed to hit his ribs, certain he had heard one crack. "Get Ryou!" Yugi hesitated and Yami screamed at him. "_Get Ryou!"_

There was no need. As soon as he had heard the first of Bakura's screams, Ryou had dropped everything and had raced upstairs, knocking Yugi to the floor in his haste to get to Bakura. "Bakura! 'Kura, listen to me!" Ryou cried as he helped Yami hold the still struggling boy. "You need to calm down!" Ryou flinched as Bakura's knee nearly collided with him. "Yugi, grab his legs!"

The other hikari nodded and quickly climbed onto the bed, somehow managing to hold Bakura's legs down without getting any serious bruises. And it seemed the others were having similar luck and they soon had Bakura lying flat on his back and mostly still.

But he was still screaming.

Ryou was in tears as he pleaded with Bakura. "'Kura, its ok! Please! Everything's going to be ok!" But he just couldn't get through to him and Bakura was starting to hyperventilate, struggling to both breathe and scream at the same time. And Ryou did something he had promised he would never do.

He forced himself into Bakura's mind.

* * *

Bakura was drowning. He was surrounded on all sides by thick, inky blackness that coated his every pore; seeping into his eyes, his mouth, his nose... he couldn't breathe. 

He was drowning...

* * *

Ryou couldn't see. Bakura's mind was chaotic, all his fears and uncertainties swirling around like dark angry dancers, attempting to drown all the light Bakura had within him. And, like Bakura, they were screaming. 

But these screams weren't the heart wrenching screams of Bakura. No, _these _screams were taunting - telling Bakura how much he was hated, pitied... They took every upsetting thing Bakura had heard over the course of his pregnancy and threw it back at him, louder and more forceful than ever.

Ryou panicked. He couldn't find Bakura in this... he just _couldn't. _But... maybe he could hear him? His screams were different from those of the dancers... so Ryou _should _be able to hear him...

He just had to find the difference.

And after a few frantic moments, he found it...

* * *

/Bakura.../ 

Bakura whimpered and tried to see where the voice was coming from; but all he saw was unending darkness. /Ryou? Where... I can't see you./

/You don't have to see me, 'Kura! Just _follow _me! You need to calm down and _follow me_/

Bakura choked as he felt a slippery tendril of blackness slither across his throat. /I can't.../

/_Yes _you can! You have to! Bakura, you're... _you're hurting the baby!_/

Bakura paled and had he been able to, he would have wrapped his arms protectively around himself. /I... speak louder so I can find you./

/_Bakura!_/

And Bakura found him.

* * *

_'I failed him,' _Yami realized as he watched Ryou and Bakura sleep. Whatever the hikari had done, he had managed what Yami had been unable to do. He had saved Bakura. 

And he had accomplished it not a moment too soon. Bakura had stopped screaming when Ryou had done... whatever it was he had done, but he had still been struggling to breathe. Yugi had said it reminded him of an asthma attack; but that didn't make any sense since Bakura didn't have asthma. As severe - and frightening - as that attack had been, Yami assumed that it was just a side effect of Bakura's... breakdown.

A breakdown that _Yami _had caused.

_'I just wanted to take care of him,' _he thought, as he reached out to stroke Bakura's hair. _'And everything fell apart.' _Bakura whimpered at the touch and snuggled closer to his hikari, shivering slightly. _'I almost lost him... him and the baby both... just because I was too focused on finances to realize he was hurting.'_

To tell the truth, none of them - not even Ryou - had noticed how much Bakura was hurting. They had all just assumed that Bakura would tell them if he was upset about something and none of them realized that it seemed as if Bakura only got upset about things they themselves witnessed. Ra, why hadn't he _said _anything?

'He shouldn't have **had **to tell us. We should have been paying attention.'

They had been paying attention, but they had been paying attention to _other _things; not Bakura. Yami was focused on his job and whether or not he was going to get that raise his boss had hinted at. Ryou was focused on his grades since his father had threatened to cut his allowance if he got anything lower than a B. And Yugi... well, Yugi _would _have been paying attention but he couldn't be everywhere at once. He had school just as Ryou did; only he wasn't as focused on it. And Marik...

Yami snorted. Marik was useless. He may have spent every weekday with Bakura but he wasn't exactly the most compassionate individual. He'd probably only notice Bakura's mood if it was annoying him in some way. Yami would never understand what Otogi saw in him.

Yami sighed, realizing that out of all of them, Yugi was the one who paid Bakura the most attention. Yugi may not be the father but Yami was thinking that he _should _have been. He'd have done a much better job of taking care of Bakura than Yami had. Bakura wouldn't have had that breakdown if Yugi had been the father. He wouldn't have...

He wouldn't have nearly lost the baby.

Yami shook his head, oblivious to the tears trailing down his face, and gazed sadly at his lover as he remembered what Isis had said when Yami had called her in a blind panic when Ryou had done... whatever it was he had done.

****

"My Pharaoh, if this had happened even a few weeks earlier he would have miscarried. As it is, the magic inherent in all male child bearers has only recently stabilized enough to protect the child. Problems could still arise."

"Isis, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that the remainder of his pregnancy will be extremely difficult."

Yami's selfishness had almost killed their baby. And it was only because of Ryou that Bakura was alive, if not necessarily well. What other harm would he cause those he loved in his misguided attempts to help? Yugi wouldn't cause such a mess. _He _should have been the father of Bakura's baby.

Because Ra knew Yami didn't deserve to be.

TBC...


	3. The Third Trimester

**Casey: **Yes, poor everyone. Especially Bakura. Thanks for the review!  
**LeoOsaka Bakura's stalker:** hugs Leo Thanks for the review! I'll talk to you later if we're both online.  
**sakurasango: **You're right; there should be a no talking zone. Or something.

Title: Little Miracle  
Author: Cheysuli  
Rated: R  
Pairing: Yami/Bakura; Yugi/Ryou  
Warnings: Mpreg; OOC  
Chapter Title: The Third Trimester  
Summary: Pregnancy, especially for teenagers, is never easy.  
A/N: This fic will have three chapters, one for each trimester. Please note that I have never been pregnant and all info here was taken from various websites (mostly pregnancy . org remove spaces; that's an _amazing _site. With pictures).

* * *

Routines changed. Not a whole lot and probably not as much as they should have; but they did change. Yami had gotten that raise he had been hoping for and a promotion as well, so his hours changed. He was home most of the morning. Bakura had mixed feelings about these new hours; he loved Yami being home in the mornings but he _hated _how late his lover had to work. Sometimes he didn't get home until nightfall.

Ryou and Yugi always tried to make time for Bakura; they even came home during the day if they had a free period before or after lunch. Bakura enjoyed that. He was feeling more loved now than he had for the past few months. Even Marik acted like he cared.

Bakura didn't know if Otogi had threatened him or if Marik realized what would have happened if Bakura had had that breakdown while home alone. Either way, he now came over everyday just as he had promised. He made a conscious effort to take care of Bakura; he kept Bakura isolated from stressful influences, he fixed him lunch... he even cleaned up his own messes. And he read silently instead of watching those loud, violent movies he had used to watch when he came over. The books were still violent but at least they were quiet.

Bakura's routine had changed the most. He could no longer wander aimlessly around the house cleaning, which he had developed a habit of doing - for some strange reason, messes bothered him now. Instead he was restricted to bed rest, only allowed up to walk to and from the bathroom or nursery or, if he had help getting down the stairs, to the living room couch.

Bakura wouldn't really have minded if the house hadn't been such a mess.

* * *

"You want me to _what?"_

Bakura smiled brightly up at Marik from his place on the couch. "Clean the house!"

Marik stared at the now heavily pregnant Bakura for a few moments before looking around the living room. The extremely _clean _room. "Bakura, this room is spotless! What do you want me to do? Clean the air!"

Bakura cocked his head and sniffed the air. "No, the air smells fine," he said with a tired smile. "But the books in the bookcase need dusting, the kitchen floor needs to be washed, and could you vacuum the bedrooms?" he ordered as he carefully laid back on the couch, turning to his side. "Please?"

Marik watched him in confusion. Bakura _hated _cleaning and a messy house never bothered him before. So what the _hell_ was his problem? Besides the pregnancy? Oh, wait; that explained it. It was a pregnancy thing. So why was _he _the one cleaning when it was _Bakura _who had the problem? Marik opened his mouth to ask Bakura this but closed it when he noticed Bakura had fallen asleep.

He snorted; if Bakura wanted the house cleaned he could at least stay awake while it was being done. Marik was tempted to ignore Bakura's orders and just _tell_ him he cleaned the house. But, he realized, Bakura would certainly notice the mess. Hell, he had noticed _this_ mess and it was practically non-existent. Marik sighed and turned away from the couch, going to hunt down a dust rag or mop or something. Maybe the vacuum. "I can't believe I let him talk me into this," he mumbled as he tried to figure out where they kept the cleaning supplies. "I just got a new book and instead of letting me _read _it, he makes me clean books, kitchen floors, and three bedrooms..."

"Stay out of the nursery!"

Marik winced, wondering how Bakura had heard that. Especially since he had been sleeping and Marik was practically whispering. Must have been another pregnancy thing. Or maybe Marik had been speaking louder than he thought.

Either way, it was one less room to clean.

* * *

Marik was wearing an apron.

Ryou and Yugi had just gotten home from school and expected to find what they always did when they came home. Bakura sleeping and Marik reading. Bakura _was _sleeping but Marik wasn't reading. Marik was mopping. And he was wearing an apron.

The two hikaris didn't know quite what to make of it. The self proclaimed 'most evil of all evil bad guys' was cleaning the kitchen - and doing a surprisingly good job of it too - and he was wearing an apron while doing it. A _pink _apron. With _frills. _No one in the house owned an apron, let alone a pink frilly one. They were afraid to ask where he had gotten it. But Marik was still wearing an apron and he was still cleaning.

So, they did what any self respecting hikari would do. They went in search of a camera.

* * *

Marik was on his hands and knees scrubbing at the stained grout in the kitchen floor. He didn't want to know what caused the greenish stain but considering where it was - right next to the trashcan - he had a pretty good idea it was some kind of rotten food. Bakura _so _owed him for this! Making Marik clean while he himself was perfectly capable of doing so.

Well, Bakura _used _to be perfectly capable of doing so; back before he had gotten pregnant. But, Marik was forced to admit, since Bakura was in his eighth month of pregnancy and had trouble even getting to his feet - and keeping his balance - it probably wasn't a good idea for him to get down on the floor to clean questionable stains. Then there would be the problem of him getting back up again.

No, it was definitely a good thing he had asked Marik to do it instead of trying himself; especially since his health hadn't been all that good since the breakdown.

Marik would have probably continued peacefully scrubbing away grime and mold if he hadn't been interrupted by a bright flash of light. He blinked, trying to get rid of the after-image and glanced curiously around the room as he looked for the source of the light. Mop, bucket of dirty water, stove, hikaris with camera, fridge... Wait.

Hikaris with camera?

Marik stared blankly at the smirking hikaris for a few moments before he realized exactly what they had done. They had taken a picture of him... wearing the apron he had stolen from the neighbor's clothesline. This was not good.

Ryou barely had time to snap another picture before Marik was off the floor and chasing them through the house.

* * *

Bakura was cranky. His peaceful nap had been interrupted by two screaming hikaris and an angry Marik. He didn't care _why _his nap was interrupted by two screaming hikaris and an angry Marik; he just wanted the screaming and the shouting to _stop. _He didn't like it. And the baby didn't like it either considering how active she was being.

Bakura winced as the baby kicked him again. She had a strong kick and Ryou had once joked that she would make a good football player. Bakura wasn't quite sure what football was and he wasn't sure he wanted his little girl to be a player of it. Especially if that meant she would be getting hurt. He never wanted his little girl to get hurt. And she seemed to be scolding him for being overprotective because she had just kicked him again. Hard.

And the hikaris and Marik were still crashing through the house and making an awful lot of noise. So Bakura did the only thing he could think of to make it stop.

He started crying.

* * *

The chase had stopped almost as suddenly as it had started. The three of them had been happily - ok, not happily; it was hard to be happy when you were afraid for your life... or reputation - racing through the house and shouting at the top of their lungs. And they would have probably continued to do so until Marik caught the hikaris and destroyed the camera... if they hadn't suddenly remembered Bakura. And if they hadn't realized that Bakura was crying because of what they were doing.

They immediately stopped shouting and stared guilty towards the living room for a few moments. None of them could believe they had actually forgotten Bakura. Well, Marik could. He had forgotten Bakura before; but it wasn't _his _fault the pregnant boy was so damn quiet! Well, except when he was upset. Like now.

Weren't mood swings supposed to go away the closer Bakura got to his due date? That's what the Pharaoh had told him the last time he had complained about an overly emotional Bakura. Marik probably should have read those pregnancy books Isis had bought him. But instead he had just shoved them under the bed and had forgotten them.

Speaking of which, why _had _Isis bought him those books? He knew he wasn't a child bearer and neither were any of the Ishtars - except Isis, of course - so _why... _Marik paled as he remembered what Isis had said once.

****

"Treat him right, Marik, and Otogi will grant you many, many surprises."

Marik made a mental note to stock up on condoms on the way home. And he had just realized he was alone in the hallway. The hikaris must have gone to comfort Bakura. Manipulative bastard. All he had to do was shed a few tears and everyone was at his beck and call.

Well, Marik wasn't falling for it. He wasn't about to go in there and make a fool of himself trying to get Bakura to feel better. No, instead he would do something productive.

He went in search of the vacuum.

* * *

They had visitors that night. Seto and Mokuba Kaiba had arrived half an hour after Marik had finally gone home. And they brought gifts.

"Seto, you didn't need to do this! We already have-"

Seto shook his head and gently silenced the pregnant boy. "I know you guys already have furniture for the baby's room, Bakura," he said as he helped Bakura lower himself onto the new gliding rocking chair Seto had just finished setting up. "But it's all second hand except for the crib. Babies deserve new things."

Bakura nodded absently as he settled back in the rocker. It really was comfortable; and the fabric went well with the nursery's green walls. But it, and the changing table and dresser and toy chest, looked extremely expensive. And it looked custom made to match the Aspen Stages Oak crib Bakura had begged Yami to buy - even though he had known it would take an entire paycheck.

Bakura studied the nursery, the smooth gliding motion of the rocker calming his restless child. She had been kicking him more often, struggling to find room to move in such a small space. He rested his hand gently on his swollen belly, relieved that she would soon be born.

Only six more weeks.

He sighed and returned his attention to the room. Bakura loved this room; with its bright green walls and soft carpeting and beautiful - now that he had gotten rid of the second hand ones he hadn't liked - furniture and decorations. Ryou had even painted a giant Tigger on one wall. Bakura had taken a liking to the bouncy feline.

Bakura frowned as he remembered the argument he and Yami had had when they had been deciding on a theme for the nursery. Yami had wanted to paint it blue and purple with a Duel Monsters theme - Dark Magician, specifically. Ryou had tried to help by suggesting Change of Heart. Yugi had been the one to realize Bakura didn't want his daughter surrounded by monsters of any kind and - having noticed Bakura's fondness for the toy Yami had gotten months ago - suggested Tigger.

Bakura had loved the idea immediately. And he had proceeded to force Yami to love it as well.

Seto watched fondly as Bakura daydreamed and quietly motioned for Mokuba to bring in the three large suitcases that contained baby clothes and bedding. He may not have acted like it very often, but Seto never minded spending money on his close friends. Especially close friends who were having trouble financially.

Seto shook his head. Yami really should have come to him. He would have gladly given them the money - for Bakura's and the baby's sake if not for Yami's. Seto had never liked the Game King and since he had learned about Bakura's breakdown, that disliking had turned into loathing. Yami should have realized that Bakura was much more important than money. If he had thought Bakura would agree to it, Seto would have taken him away from the Pharaoh and have him live in the mansion. He and the baby would have had everything they ever needed or wanted.

Except Yami. And that was exactly why he knew Bakura would never agree to it.

"Niisan?"

Seto blinked as he finished folding the green dress he had in his hands and turned to look at his brother. "Yes, Mokuba?"

Mokuba was staring worriedly across the room. "Should we be letting him sleep sitting up like that?"

Seto followed his gaze and smiled. Bakura had indeed fallen asleep in the rocker, a peaceful look on his face. "As long as he's comfortable, it's all right," he said as he placed the dress in almost full drawer before picking up another one, this one sky blue with a red rose print.

Mokuba nodded as he grabbed some clothes from an open suitcase. These weren't designer dresses like the ones Seto was unpacking; no, these were simpler and much more practical. They were clothes that were durable and easily cleaned, a necessity since babies somehow always managed to make a mess. "Why does he sleep so much," he asked as he folded a little cotton dress. "And why did you buy so many dresses? What if it's a boy?"

Seto cocked his head. "I think... he's conserving energy for the birth. But I'm not sure." He smirked suddenly as he held up some pink footy pajamas. "And I bought clothing for a girl instead of a boy because I trust Bakura's intuition over Yami's."

Mokuba laughed quietly, shaking his head, as he returned his attention to folding.

* * *

"They're being awfully quiet," Ryou said as he gazed worriedly towards the stairs. "You don't think he's killed them do you?"

Yugi shook his head, remembering how much Bakura hated it when other people went into the nursery. He had even thrown Tigger at Yami once when the Pharaoh had followed him into the room. Of course, not five minutes later, he had gone up to Yami and had apologized, blaming hormones for his reaction before begging for the toy's return.

"Yugi?"

Yugi blinked, realizing he had been drifting - a habit he had somehow caught from Yami. Who knew short attention spans were contagious? "No! No, I don't think he killed them," he reassured. "I don't think he really minds Mokuba being there... and I think Seto's allowed because he's Mokuba's brother," he said thoughtfully. "And remember how Bakura let Honda go in there that one time he came over with his nephew? He even let the boy play in there."

Ryou nodded, remembering the incident. "So if we want to go visit the nursery, all we have to do is find a kid to go with us? That... makes sense, I suppose."

Yugi nodded cheerfully. "Yep! Now stop worrying and come help me open these," he said, gesturing towards several rather large boxes the Kaibas had left downstairs.

Ryou blinked, having somehow not noticed the things. "Wow. Seto never does anything halfway, does he?"

"Nope!" Yugi cheered, smiling brightly.

* * *

It was late when Yami finally arrived home to a dark and quiet house. He had gotten held up at the office - well, actually, a couple of teenagers had sabotaged several of the dueling platforms and KaibaLand had been flooded with raging holographic Kuribohs and it had taken a few hours to fix the problem; but 'held up at the office' made the delay sound so much more dignified. It was nearly 10:00 and Yami knew Bakura would be furious that he hadn't at least called to tell him he was going to be late and was waiting to verbally attack him. Or he could be scared out of his mind that something had happened and was now sitting by the phone, waiting for the hospital to call. It had gotten a lot harder to predict his reactions since he had gotten pregnant.

And to think he had believed Jou when he had said that mood swings did not last. Yami vowed to strangle that boy the next time he saw him; and Jou must have known this because he had made himself scarce these pass few months. That or he was visiting relatives like he said he would.

Yami sighed as he entered the house and turned on the light, glancing nervously around the room as he waited for an angry - or relieved - Bakura to start yelling. But nothing happened; no yelling, no crying, no tense-filled silence... well, the house _did _seem perfectly silent but it was notably tense-free. This was unexpected. Welcomed, but completely unexpected and Yami didn't quite know what to do about it.

After a few minutes of standing uncertainly by the front door, he finally moved further into the house. He had not even taken five steps before he found himself tripping over something and falling painfully to the floor. Yami laid there for a moment, feeling rather dazed, before he carefully pushed himself up and looked for whatever had caused him to fall. And his gaze quickly found a rather large brown... toy... thing.

He blinked and took a closer look at the stuffed animal... that looked like a giant mouse or something. And for some reason it had a pouch on its stomach where it was holding a smaller mouse thing. Yami studied it for a few moments before noticing the tag. Kanga and Roo. Oh, that explained it then. They were Tigger's friends. Yami didn't know _why _Tigger's friends were on the living room floor - or where they had come from in the first place - but didn't think it important enough to find Bakura and ask him.

Speaking of Bakura, Yami was getting worried. His lover had always waited for him to come home if he was able. It was possible he had been unable to find someone to help him down the stairs and was instead waiting in their room, but the hikaris were home so that couldn't be it. At least, Yami _thought _the hikaris were home. The house seemed a bit too silent for them to be home - it was too early for them to have gone to bed already. But he doubted they would go somewhere and leave Bakura alone... especially this close to his due date.

Yami sighed and carefully got to his feet and moved to finally leave the room... only to stop short as he nearly stumbled over a stuffed elephant. He stared dumbly at it before taking a closer look around the living room. He blinked.

The floor was literally _covered_ in stuffed animals: bears, rabbits, owls, donkeys... a creepy little pink thing that vaguely resembled a pig. They were _everywhere._

Yami continued staring at the room in shock for a few long minutes before shaking his head, realizing that Kaiba must have visited, and carefully moving towards the stairs. He'd check on Bakura, reassure him that all was well and that Yami wasn't lying in a ditch somewhere, then he'd wait until Bakura fell asleep before sneaking over to the nursery.

Yami didn't know why he wasn't allowed in the nursery. He vaguely remembered reading about something called a 'nesting instinct' but he had been expecting Bakura to steal all the pillows in the house and make himself an actual nest. Instead, Bakura was protecting that room as if he were... well, a mother protecting her child. But there was no child living in the room yet so Yami just couldn't understand his behavior.

The Pharaoh sighed as he climbed the stairs, pausing as he heard muffled giggles and a few thumps coming from Ryou's and Yugi's room. So the hikaris were home after all. He smirked and continued to his and Bakura's room, opening the door quietly for fear loud noises would make Bakura more upset. But he needn't have worried.

Bakura was sound asleep, lying on his side and clutching Yami's pillow, the thick blankets kicked to the floor. Yami smiled fondly. Bakura must have fallen asleep while waiting for him. The Pharaoh carefully closed the door and crossed the hall to the nursery.

The nursery had originally been the master bedroom. It had been claimed by Ryou's father when he and Ryou (and Bakura, though he hadn't had his own body then) had first moved to the neighborhood. But since the man was rarely home, and since they had been told it wasn't a very good idea to keep the baby in their own room, Ryou had allowed them to turn it into a nursery.

Yami stared lovingly at the closed door for a few moments before taking a deep breath and opening it, entering the room. He took a long look at the various items and colors that decorated the place and the furniture he had worked so hard to be able to afford and...

Yami stared.

"Bakura!"

* * *

"How could you do this to me!"

"Yami, _please! _Just listen-"

"You _knew _how hard I worked to buy those things for you and you allowthat rich, holier-than-thou _bastard _to throw it out and replace it with that... that _trash!"_

Bakura didn't know what to do. Yami had come crashing into the room, startling him from a deep sleep, and had proceeded to yell at him about things he was too tired - and too upset - to fully understand. What did it matter who gave them the furniture? As long as it was safe and sturdy, what did it matter? Bakura couldn't understand why Yami was so angry. "Yami, I..." he choked, wringing his hands nervously. He winced as he felt a sudden tightening and frowned worriedly as he rested his hands on his swollen belly.

"I worked my fingers to the _bone _for you and this is how you repay me!"

The feeling left and he breathed a sigh of relief before returning his attention to his raging lover. "I-I didn't," he stuttered, afraid of how furious Yami was acting. He _knew _he shouldn't have accepted Kaiba's gift; he _knew _how Yami would react when he learned of it. But he had done it anyways. It was just... the furniture Kaiba had bought him was just so _perfect._

But that was no excuse for betraying Yami like this.

The tightness returned and he stared helpless towards the door where the hikaris were standing, having been disturbed by the noise. Ryou immediately crossed the room, tying the belt of his robe, and crawled onto the bed next to Bakura. He wrapped his arms tightly around the trembling boy, making soothing sounds in an attempt to calm him.

Yugi, meanwhile, had stalked up to the ranting Pharaoh and slapped him before dragging him out into the hallway, closing the door behind them.

* * *

"That was low, even for you," Yugi growled as he glared at the still angry Pharaoh. "How could you even _think _of upsetting him like this? You _know _what happened last time!"

Yami still felt that his anger was justified. To work so hard and so long for something, just to have some snooty, rich boy come in and effortlessly _ruin _everything. But what Yugi had said made a great deal of sense; he _shouldn't _have taken his anger out on Bakura. He should have taken it out on Kaiba.

But Kaiba wasn't here and Bakura was and this had made much more sense before he had scared Bakura so badly. He was an idiot and he admitted it. But no one would get him to admit it out loud.

The two continued to glare at each in silence for a few long tense-filled minutes before the bedroom door opened and Ryou poked his head out. "Uh, guys?"

Yugi blinked and turned away from Yami to stare at Ryou in sudden concern. "What's wrong, Ryou?" he asked worriedly. "Is Bakura all right?"

Ryou glanced quickly back at room before turning to stare at Yami. "Uh, I think he's in labor."

* * *

Yami had a headache.

Bakura was in labor - _premature labor - _and it was all his fault. He should have waited until he had calmed down before speaking with Bakura. But nnnooooooo; he had to go and upset Bakura so badly that something happened. Again. You would think he'd have learned his lesson after the breakdown.

Sometimes Yami wondered if there was something that disrupted the connection between his brain and his mouth, causing him to speak without thinking. That might have been what was causing the headache. And he _definitely _deserved the headache.

But he was drifting once again and now was _not _the time to be drifting. Now was the time to be comforting and guiding Bakura in the miracle that was childbirth. Now was the time to be holding Bakura's hand, watching as their son was brought into this world. Now was the time to... stop staring at the closed bedroom door and actually enter the room where the birth was taking place.

But for some reason, Yami couldn't move. All he could do was stare helplessly at the door that hid the frantic activity within. He couldn't even move to the phone to call Isis like Yugi had ordered him to. But that probably didn't matter; she was a Seer, she would have predicted this. She would be here soon.

Why wasn't she here yet!

Yami started panicking... and he started hyperventilating. And he finally managed to move. But he didn't move towards the door, towards his hurting lover. No, instead he moved rapidly towards the floor as he lost consciousness.

* * *

Pain hurt a hell of a lot worse when it was coming from inside you. Bakura could handle pain. He _hated _pain but he could handle it. Especially if it was nothing more serious than a broken bone or a stab wound.

But _labor _pains were something else entirely and he found himself envying all those women who were able to go to the hospital and get pumped full of so many painkillers they were floating and everything was funny.

It had started so simply. A few contractions every once in a while, the occasional kick from his impatient daughter... then sudden white hot _pain. _Isis hadn't been kidding when she said labor would come hard and fast. But she could've at least told him how damn _painful _it was! And that the pain came in fucking _waves! _The pain stopped barely long enough for him to catch his breath before another wave would come along to steal it away again. And why was this room so damn hot!

"Deep breaths, Bakura. Come on... breathe."

And why did everyone think breathing was the answer to everything! Damn hikaris!

"Breathe-"

"The next person who tells me to breathe will be suffocated!" he screamed as he felt a particularly painful contraction and he squeezed the hand that was holding his so hard he thought he heard bones breaking.

Ryou winced as his hand was crushed but he didn't complain, instead smoothing Bakura's sweaty hair away from his face. "Ok... ok, Bakura..." he soothed as he glanced down at Yugi who, of the two hikaris, had the hardest job.

He was the one delivering the baby.

Yugi stared nervously at the now soaked and bloody bedding, struggling to remember what Isis had said about labor and child birth.

****

"Labor, for male child bearers, comes on quickly and sometimes without warning. A birth canal begins forming at the onset - this is the cause of the majority of the pain - and the process can be quite bloody."

Quite bloody was an understatement. Bakura's once white bedding was now mostly red. Or at least the bottom half of it.

****

"Then, the water will break-"

Yugi checked. Yes, it had already broken.

****

"-and he will feel the urge to push. Do not let him, just yet."

Bakura wasn't trying to push. Yugi was confused. If he felt the urge to push, why wasn't he trying to push? Yugi glanced nervously towards the head of the bed where Bakura was clinging desperately to Ryou and crying. "She can just stay in there! I changed my mind! Tell her to _stay in there!"_

Yugi blinked. This... was unexpected.

* * *

Yami had regained consciousness. And he was once again staring fearfully at the door... only this time he was seated safely on the floor. He _still _couldn't bring himself to open that door and enter the room. But he _should _have been able to go in there and comfort his lover because... because...

Because Bakura was screaming.

But... at least it wasn't the heart-wrenching scream that had tortured him just a few months ago. No, the pain that filled _these _screams was pure intense _physical _pain. Bakura could handle physical pain a whole lot better than emotional.

But if that was true, why was he still screaming?

* * *

Tense silence filled the previously frantic room before the loud, awe inspiring first cry of a newborn baby echoed through the night.

Yugi smiled happily as he gazed down at the squirming infant he held carefully in his arms. "It's a girl, Bakura," he whispered. "You were right; it's a little girl."

Bakura stared proudly, albeit tiredly, at his newborn daughter before nervously reaching out to take her from the hikari. "My little girl," he said quietly as Yugi carefully laid her on his belly, the umbilical cord not long enough to allow him to hold her in his arms. "My beautiful little girl..."

Yugi smiled at them before glancing over at Ryou who had moved to a nearby chair the moment Bakura had released his aching hand. The other hikari was quietly inspecting his hand, stealing quick nervous looks at Bakura and the baby. "Have you decided on a name?"

Bakura sadly shook his head, unable to look away from his baby. "No... Yami refused to even _consider _the possibility of having a girl." He sighed, wishing he could hold his daughter in his arms, and suddenly flinched as he felt another contraction. "What-"

Yugi was quick to reassure him. "It's ok! It's just the afterbirth," he said, returning to his place on the bed. "Just one more push and then it's over."

* * *

Yami looked up from the floor when he heard the door open. He had been waiting in the hallway for what felt like forever but, judging by his watch, was actually just four hours.

He shook head and stood as he realized Yugi was standing in front of him. And that Yugi was holding a squirming, crying baby in his arms. He was beautiful... even though he was messy and wet and wrapped in one of Bakura's T-Shirts, he was still beautiful.

Yami nervously reached his arms out to accept his son from Yugi. Yugi hesitated briefly, unsure whether or not Yami knew the correct way to hold a child, but in the end he carefully placed the baby in the Pharaoh's arms. "Bakura said... that you hadn't agreed on a name yet. But he chose one he liked," he said as he watched Yami coo at the baby. "He hopes you don't mind."

Yami smiled brightly as he glanced up at Yugi. "Of course I don't mind!" he said, looking back at the baby. "So, what did he name him?"

Yugi winced slightly before moving closer to Yami in case he passed out again. "Uh... Yami, I'd like you to meet Kanika. Your daughter."

* * *

Yami had taken the news of the baby's gender surprisingly well. He had not passed out immediately as Yugi had feared. Instead, he had carefully placed Kanika safely back in the arms of her uncle Yugi and stepped away. _Then _he had passed out.

Yugi sighed as he gazed down at his niece. "Your daddy is so silly, oh yes he is," he cooed as he returned to the room where Bakura slept. Finally, after several long stressful months, they could finally put the pregnancy behind them.

And Yugi could only pray that they were ready for the challenges ahead.

Owari


End file.
